Resveratrol Bioavailability – Does It Matter?

Resveratrol has a pretty stellar track record in research as an antioxidant that prevents free radical driven diseases, like Alzheimer’s Disease and Cardiovascular Disease, from gaining a foothold in your body. It’s activation of the SIRT1 gene which then triggers our survival mechanism, increasing metabolism, burning fat, increasing energy, fortifying immune responses, is probably the more well known aspect of resveratrol thanks to Morley Safer’s story on 60 Minutes, and raft of other reporters (Barbara Walters, et al) who then did their stories on resveratrol too.

But there are naysayers about resveratrol claiming that because resveratrol taken orally is largely metabolized in the digestive system, so little of it gets into the bloodstream that it does no good at all. Plus, what little resveratrol makes it into your bloodstream lasts only about an hour.

This is a valid concern, but it’s not a reason to forego resveratrol and all the benefits offers for your health and vitality as you age.

The first thing to realize is not all resveratrol supplements have that much resveratrol content. Despite having “Resveratrol” emblazoned across the label, a quick look at the Supplement Facts box very often reveals a host of other ingredients making up the formulation, and less than 100 mg of actual trans-resveratrol. To receive the benefits of resveratrol the product you take must have at least a 500 mg daily serving of resveratrol, preferably coming from Polygonum cuspidatum P.E. (plant extract). Any less than that will not result in high enough levels of trans-resveratrol making into your bloodstream.

Secondly, given that the life of the resveratrol molecule in your bloodstream is quite short before it is metabolized by your cells, it is best that the product you take has the daily dose broken into at least two servings; that is, one capsule taken twice a day. That way resveratrol is brought into your bloodstream at more regular intervals for your body cells to use.

These are two things you can do to make sure you have enough resveratrol in your system to make a difference.

The concern about bioavailability of resveratrol itself though, I think, is a little misguided. If you are waiting for the resveratrol cure for cancer or diabetes, you will have to wait until 2012 when the first commercially available synthetic resveratrol drug is available. A drug that will supposedly be 1000 times more powerful than anything on the market today. Quite frankly, unless I have cancer at that time, I won’t be buying a bottle. Something artificially created, that is that potent, makes me nervous. I don’t care who created it.

The fact that resveratrol is mostly metabolized in the digestive tract and only a small amount makes it into the bloodstream, doesn’t overly bother me. There are other elements at play here that are not fully accounted for in the scientific research performed to date. Many scientific papers report positive effects from the application of resveratrol “in addition” to those they were testing for. The way resveratrol works, it’s protective effects, although well documented, are not fully understood yet.

Anyone who has taken plant derived resveratrol at a serving of 500 mg or more per day “knows” it works and produces the effects you are looking for to keep you healthy and vital as you grow older. If you do any sort of exercise, like jogging, or swimming, you know first hand resveratrol’s antioxidant effect. You just cruise along, seeming able to continue forever. You also notice your appetite taking a back seat in your awareness for a change. Your thoughts aren’t  being invaded by cravings and fantasies about pizza or last night’s spaghetti still in the fridge. You can focus uninterrupted on your work, and guess what?  You eat less.

Ultimately it’s good to have a lot of scientific research that shows the effectiveness of resveratrol on the major conditions that are killing us in old age, it’s reassuring and I take resveratrol daily with confidence because of it. But in the end, what I’m more concerned with are the positive effects showing up in my life as a result of taking resveratrol, and they keep on happening. More energy, less appetite, weight loss, cancerous looking moles have disappeared after 20 years, greater mental focus. I’m looking forward to my next medical checkup.

Does resveratrol bioavailability matter? Yes, but don’t be obsessed with it. Just make sure the resveratrol product you buy has a daily serving of at least  500 mg … and get started.